“That’s cow turds! I done met one myself!” Lenny snapped.
Justan didn’t know what to think. His parents hadn’t believed in worshipping any gods, but many cultures did. The prophet was the closest thing to a deity that Justan had ever believed in.
John raised a hand. “All I will say is that there is no higher authority in this world. I am sorry, but I am constrained from revealing any more than I have.”
“So the only one who can break the bond is your master?” Latva asked.
“My master would never do so,” John said. “He doesn’t make a bond between two people that is unfixable. I told Stardeon and Mellinda this.
“They left me frustrated that I could not solve their problem, but my explanation of the way the bond worked got Stardeon thinking. He became sure that if he could somehow separate The Creator’s part of the bond from Mellinda’s part, she could control it.”
“That sounds like a very bad idea,” Justan said.
“When they arrived back at their keep, Stardeon and Mellinda dove into experimentation with the bond. For months they tried different techniques, each time failing. Finally Stardeon came across an obscure reference in an old tome and left to investigate.
“Mellinda and her bonded waited for his return. He was away for weeks and things got worse. Gregory couldn’t stop looking at her and thinking about her and with his new appearance, she began to find his attentions flattering. As much as Stardeon loved her, he was a man very focused on his work and he never made Mellinda feel as desired as Gregory did.
“It wore on her until she decided that she couldn’t wait for Stardeon’s return. She came up with a plan of her own. She decided to seek her answers from the Dark Bowl.”
Chapter Three
“The Dark Bowl is real?” asked Zambon, voicing aloud what Justan was wondering.
“Of course it’s real, dag-nab it!” Lenny said. “Everythin’s real.”
“It is a matter of history, Zambon,” Locksher said.
“I ain’t just talkin ‘bout the Dark Bowl,” Lenny said. “I’m talkin’ ‘bout everythin’. It’s all real. Every dag-gum legend you heard. Every dag-gum story yer momma told you when puttin’ you to bed. If’n there’s one thing I learnt in my life, it’s that it’s all real. Every time you doubt somethin’ exists, there’s a good chance yer gonna turn ‘round and run yer face right into it!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lenui,” Locksher said. “Why there are many-.”
“What about ghost trolls?” Fist asked, leaning forward in his chair, “Crag always said there were ghost trolls in the mountains. If you went to the very top they would talk in your head!”
“True, then!” Lenny said with a firm nod.
“Oh please,” Locksher said with a roll of his eyes.
“Big John, are there ghost trolls in the mountains?” Fist asked.
The prophet frowned. “Well . . . I think that’s a misunderstanding. They’re not trolls, not really.”
“See!” Lenny said. “All true.”
“That’s not what he said.” Locksher replied.
“If they’re not trolls, they’re somethin’ and if ghost trolls don’t exist on the mountain, con-found it, they exist somewhere. I’m tellin’ you. Everythin’ does.” Lenny said.
“Come on, Lenui. I-.” Locksher began.
“Silence!” Jhonate glared at the wizard until he shut his mouth. Then she turned her glare on Lenny. Once she was satisfied that he wasn’t going to blurt out something else, she gave the prophet an earnest look. “Sir, what is the Dark Bowl? I had not heard of it before now.”
John raised one eyebrow in amusement at the flustered look on Locksher’s face. He cleared his throat. “The Dark Bowl, my dear, is a creation of the Dark Prophet. He patterned it after The Bowl of Souls, likely to cause confusion. But they are nothing alike. The foul thing he created very much follows his sensibilities.
“You see, The Bowl of Souls sees a person’s potential and judges them accordingly. The Dark Bowl forces a person into the mold it sees fit by giving them the knowledge and abilities it requires. It is the tool by which the Dark Prophet tries to create foes to combat those named by The Bowl of Souls.
“How does it do that?” Fist asked.
“To explain how it works, it would perhaps be best if I continued Mellinda’s tale,” John said. “Mellinda’s decision to seek the Dark Bowl did not come lightly. She knew that it was a creation of the Dark Prophet and she knew that it was used for foul purposes, but she was desperate. She needed information that I was not going to give her, and she knew that the Dark Bowl could give her the kind of knowledge that was forbidden anywhere else.
“Her bonded balked at the idea. Dixie was terrified of going anywhere near the Dark Prophet’s palace and Gregory was worried that Mellinda would be corrupted and turned into the Dark Prophet’s pawn. She convinced them and herself that she had a clever plan. She would sneak into the palace, use the Dark Bowl to gain the information she needed to break the bond, and leave without the Dark Prophet knowing she had come.”
“The fool!” Jhonate snapped, her face twisted with derision.
“Surely she knew better than that,” Master Latva said.
“The willing mind fools itself,” John replied. “But it wasn’t so difficult a thing to imagine back then. In those days, the Dark Prophet and I were known to be fallible. Both of us had made some very public mistakes. She believed her spirit magic powerful enough to get them past any obstacles the Dark Prophet might set in front of them.
“They set off on their journey and planned their approach as they went. It was a difficult time for all of them. During their journey there was no way for her to hide from Gregory’s gaze and he had changed in more ways than just his appearance. He had learned the things about his personality that had so repulsed her in the beginning and had altered his behavior accordingly. In addition, he treated Dixie with respect and kindness, something that he hadn’t done in the past. The way he acted broke down the walls Mellinda had erected to protect herself.
“By the time they reached the Dark Prophet’s dominion, she was beginning to feel yearnings of her own. Gregory felt those feelings within her and it only served to embolden him. They would have succumbed to their passions if not for Dixie. The gnome stayed at Mellinda’s side at all times, never leaving her and Gregory alone.”
The prophet’s words poured into Justan’s mind and he became entranced by the story. The strange buzzing feeling returned and the surroundings of the Hall of Majesty melted away around him, new scenery rising up to replace them. John was somehow feeding these images to him as clearly as memories sent through the bond. Justan could see Mellinda and her bonded struggling along rough terrain as if they were right in front of him. Distantly, he was aware that Fist and Gwyrtha were seeing the same thing.
The vision was perfectly detailed and the character’s actions added to the depth of the prophet’s tale. The gnome Dixie was tall and willowy, with long curly red hair. Justan thought she was pretty, even with her long nose and drooping ears. Gregory was muscular and remarkably handsome, with a permanent smirk on his face and a ready grace that told Justan he knew how to fight.
Mellinda’s appearance was the most striking to Justan. Her hair was black as ink and her eyes a vivid green. Her features looked so much like Jhonate’s at first glance that it startled him. But then she smiled and he saw the differences. Her lips were full and luscious, her jaw wider, and as the vision moved around them, he saw that her figure was every bit as voluptuous as Vannya’s. It was no wonder that Gregory felt the way he did.
Despite the intensity of the vision, Justan could still hear the prophet’s words. His deep voice propelled the action forward.
“In order to stay undetected, they kept off the roads, traveling the treacherous mountain terrain on foot. They had difficulty staying undetected by the Dark Prophet’s minions. Dixie was not a stealthy person. Her every step seemed to knock over a rock or snap a
twig. Mellinda’s strength in bewitching magic was the only thing that kept them from being discovered. As it was, Gregory had to slay several beasts along the way. It became evident to Mellinda that she would not be able to sneak inside with the gnome at her side.
“Soon the spires of the Dark Prophet’s palace loomed ahead. Gregory scouted the area around the palace and they waited for the Dark Prophet to leave. They knew it was only a matter of time. The Dark Prophet often left his palace to patrol his dominion.
“It took a week. A long week of waiting in the cold mountain air, huddling together for warmth at night; huddling together in body and mind with a level of intimacy that only stirred up their emotions more. Again Dixie’s presence saved them, but they both began to resent her interference.
“Finally the Dark Prophet left in his carriage, bringing his entourage of servants with him. Mellinda and Gregory left Dixie in a cave where she would be safe from discovery, then set off on their approach. Mellinda reached out with her magic, setting the guards at ease and they snuck in and found servants’ garb.
“It went more smoothly than either of them had dared believe. No one questioned them. They were able to find their way down the opulent hallways to the bowl’s chamber. A few of the Dark Prophet’s priests were inside praying, so Gregory created a distraction that caused them to leave the room. Once alone, Mellinda snuck up to the bowl and plunged her knife inside.”
Justan gasped as the scene froze before his eyes. The room was wide and circular. The floor sunk down in the center, curved like a great bowl. In the middle was a marble pedestal with a silver bowl perched atop. It looked very much like The Bowl of Souls until Justan looked closer and saw that the underside of the bowl was carved with tortured faces.
Mellinda stood in front of the pedestal, her striking green eyes open wide and her teeth grit together in a grimace as the blade of her knife pierced the still water of the bowl. A lance of blackness had shot upwards from the waters of the bowl and was paused a mere inch from piercing her forehead.
“Now there were things about the Dark Bowl that Mellinda did not understand. She thought it would give her the information she needed and let her walk away unscathed. But the Dark Bowl is an object of binding magic. It has pieces of thousands of souls trapped within.”
Justan winced as the scene jumped a half-second forward and paused again. The lance of blackness had pierced through Mellinda’s skull and her eyes were rolled back, her mouth open as if frozen mid-chant.
“When she plunged her weapon into the bowl, its magic searched her heart, taking measure of her much like the true bowl does. Then it searched itself and found the other shreds of tattered soul trapped within its depths that matched what it wanted from her. It bound them to her, in essence giving her the knowledge and memories of three of its past victims. You see, she wasn’t the first bonding wizard to seek its power. She was the fourth.
“In exchange for this knowledge, the Dark Bowl bound her thoughts and memories to it. This guaranteed that when she died, a portion of her soul would be torn free and trapped inside it with the others.
“When it was finished, it granted her a new name; a name known only to the Dark Prophet’s other servants. Then, much like The Bowl of Souls would have done, it left her and her weapon marked with a rune. But this was a rune that could only be seen by those with a special type of spirit sight.
“Dark runes appear opposite of naming runes. For wizards, the dark rune appears on the palm of their right hand. For warriors, it appears on the back of their left.”
Justan felt the prophet’s voice speaking directly to him. “Take note of this. As bonded, you have the gift to see these markings. Use your spirit sight. As you were able to see the dark magic of the ruby dagger, you can see this proof of the Dark Prophet’s servants.”
Mellinda slumped to the ground next to the pedestal, her right hand shaking as she stared at the black rune on her palm. She blinked, her eyes darting back and forth, and Justan could see her mind working as she processed the new information she had gained. Her face was grim as she stood and met Gregory at the room’s exit.
“They escaped the palace the way they came, relieved that no guards cried out in alarm. Gregory was thrilled that his plan had worked, but Mellinda was quiet. They climbed the mountainside and began making their way back to Dixie. Gregory asked Mellinda what she had learned from the bowl, but she would not reply. She had closed the bond so tightly that he could not hear her thoughts.
“When they were half way back to Dixie’s hiding place, Mellinda stopped and tied off their connection to the gnome so she could not hear what she had to say. She told Gregory that she had not learned the secret she had hoped. She could not break the bond on her own. However, she had learned how to do something else.
“She could enter his mind through the bond and use her bewitching magic to take away his desire for her. To do so, she would have to strip out his memories of wanting her. It would be uncomfortable, but their problem would be solved. When she was done, he would love her only as a sister.
“In her mind, this was a much better solution. They wouldn’t have to part forever. They could stay bonded and return home together. What’s more, she wanted to do it then, before returning to Dixie, knowing that the gnome would try to talk them out of it.”
Justan’s skin crawled at the thought of her solution. Going into her bonded’s mind and tearing out his memories? What if she took away something important accidentally? What if she did irreparable damage?
He watched the two of them standing close together between two large boulders on a rocky mountainside, their eyes boring into each other’s. Mellinda’s full lips trembled and Gregory’s eyes were red-rimmed as he swallowed and gave her a brief nod.
“Gregory agreed to her plan, but made one request. ‘One kiss,’ he said. ‘Please. Just one kiss before you take this away from me.’
“Mellinda let her guard down and agreed to his condition. She kissed him, but it didn’t stop there. All the tension that had been building between them finally broke. Mellinda and Gregory gave in to their passions there on the mountainside in the Dark Prophet’s domain.
“When it was over, Gregory was happy. He had finally been with the woman he loved. Suddenly he didn’t want to be free of his desire for her. But Mellinda was filled with horror at what she had done. She had betrayed both her husband and Dixie and the thought of them finding out what had happened was too hard to bear. She told Gregory to ready himself for her to enter his thoughts, but he refused. He didn’t want his love taken away anymore. He pleaded with her to leave Stardeon and stay with him.
“They argued and as Mellinda raged, the new voices in her mind, the ones with the dark knowledge, spoke to her for the first time. These previous bonding wizards told her that she did not need Gregory’s permission. She had the power to take the memories whenever she wanted. When she was finished, he would never know what she had done.
“Mellinda resisted their suggestions at first, but as her argument with Gregory grew more heated, she told herself that he had agreed beforehand. He had no right to change his mind. Finally he tried to kiss her again and with a cry of anger, she entered his mind forcefully, smashing aside his mental defenses.”
Justan saw their argument unfold, saw Gregory freeze and collapse, while Mellinda stood over him, her face grim.
“She did as her new knowledge instructed, combing through his memories and muting his feelings for her, tearing out any strong incidents she could not suppress. But she didn’t stop there. After all, how could she? What if his feelings grew again?
Mellinda thought of poor Dixie and her unrequited love for him and went into Gregory’s memories of the gnome. She took his feelings of fondness for Dixie and stoked them to urges of passion. Mellinda was inexperienced at this kind of work and it showed in the bluntness of her efforts.
“When Gregory awoke, he smiled at her like he would a friend, his memories of their affair erased. He seemed fine and M
ellinda was relieved. She took him back to the cave where they had left Dixie.
“The gnome had been waiting for them patiently, monitoring them through the bond. She had felt the intensity of emotion from Mellinda when she had encountered the Dark Bowl and was alarmed when she noticed the sinister thoughts entwined with Mellinda’s afterwards. When Mellinda had cut Dixie’s thoughts off from her own, Dixie knew that something had gone wrong.
“She was overjoyed when they arrived back at the cave safely, but something was amiss. The look in Gregory’s eyes when he saw her was not what she expected. When she asked Mellinda what she had done to him, Mellinda told her through the bond that the bowl had taught her how to change Gregory’s feelings and that when she had, his feelings for Dixie had surfaced. She told Dixie that Gregory had loved her all along.
“When she said these words, Gregory approached Dixie with longing in his eyes and reached for her. The gnome didn’t react as Mellinda had expected. She pushed Gregory away in horror and yelled at Mellinda, demanding that she change him back. Gregory was confused by her outburst. He clutched at Dixie, professing his love for her.”
Justan shuddered at the disturbing scene. Gregory on his knees, crying out with a scrap of Dixie’s torn dress in his hand. Dixie had backed up against the wall and was shaking her head. Both of them were in tears.
“Melinda didn’t know what to do. Her efforts had gone horribly wrong. Finally she froze them both and dove into their minds to fix the damage she had done. She took the advice of the new voices in her mind and lowered the intensity of Gregory’s passions, then erased Dixie’s memory of the incident, leaving the impression that everything was as it should be. She made Dixie feel as though Gregory love for her was the expected result of their mission. They had been successful. All had gone to plan.
“This time when her bonded awoke, it was better. They were both happy with the outcome. The started on their journey back home. Mellinda was pleased. Her bonded were giddy, walking hand in hand and giggling like young lovers. It was as though the unpleasantness hadn’t happened.
The Bowl of Souls: Book 05 - Mother of the Moonrat Page 5
